Happy almost-Valentine’s Day, frankerinos. Whether you’re boo-ed up with a significant other or you’ve got Galentine’s plans with your best mate, a movie night might just be in order. To help you choose from the zillion and one options of V-day-related flicks, we’ve pulled together five of our favourite loved-up films – including stories about romance, best friendship, familial love and more. Fire up one of these and you’ll be in for a lovely treat.

JANET PLANET There’s nothing harder than being an 11-year-old girl. Except maybe being a 13-year-old girl. But don’t tell Lacy that – the sweet-natured girl with feelings too big for her age at the centre of this flick – she’s still struggling to make it to 12. The directorial screen debut of ripper playwright Annie Baker, 2023’s Janet Planet follows Lacy and her single mum, the titular Janet (played by Julianne Nicholson) as Janet navigates myriad relationships over the course of a summer. We watch the comings and goings of Janet’s different loves through the eyes of Lacy – from romantic to platonic to catastrophic. And the love that runs through them all? You guessed it, it’s familial.

MY BRILLIANT CAREER Based on the prolific novel by Miles Franklin (that famous literary award? Yeah, that’s her), 1979 cinematic masterpiece My Brilliant Career fools you into thinking it’s a pure romance before bait-and-switching you by transforming into a story of leading a life focused on pursuing one’s passion. Made by some of Australia’s finest, including Gillian Armstrong in the directing chair and Judy Davis and Sam Neill as the top-billed cast (OK, OK – Sam is a Kiwi), this is the perfect flick to get cosy in front of if you too are in love with the pursuit of creative brilliance.

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Recently sweeping up a casual nine nominations at the 2026 Oscars, director Joachim trier, writer Eskil Vogt and rising star Renate Reinsve have been making some noise in the international film scene with their latest masterpiece Sentimental Value. But before there was family drama in the Norwegian trio’s filmography, there was 2021’s The Worst Person in the World. Two contrasting threads of romantic relationships are weaved into the tapestry of Julie’s (Renate’s) coming-of-age as she navigates her 30s and all of the self-realisation that comes with it, but the romance isn’t the whole story. It’s Julie’s world – we’re just lucky to be living in it.

BLACK DOG Have you ever loved a pet so much that you would do anything for them. Like, literally anything? That’s basically the premise of 2024 Chinese film Black Dog, directed by Guan Hu. After returning to his desert hometown in the lead up to Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games, former stunt motorcyclist Lang (played by Taiwanese superstar Eddie Peng) gets caught up in a mission to capture a wild dog as part of an animal removal program. What happens next is anybody’s guess… but let’s just say that this rad flick supports the saying “man’s best friend”.

FIRE OF LOVE If you love love, you’ll love Fire of Love. This 2022 documentary directed by Sara Dosa – and narrated by all-time weirdo Miranda July – features rare archival footage of a couple of volcanologists who are as obsessed with fiery eruptions as they are with each other. The Wes Anderson-style real-life footage and retro intergalactic volcano suits alone are enough reason to fire up this movie, although the love story at the centre of the documentary will have you hanging on until the end. This is a goodie for lovers of volcanoes, whimsical visuals, scientific research, and – of course – pure red-hot love.